Retracing Steps
by okitaco
Summary: It was her own journey that made her who she was. Her understanding as to whom she was destined to follow and the relationships she built also made her who she was in the present. But sometimes, even she longed to retrace her steps. OC-Centric. OC/Decided. Hiatus.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue.**_

Hiroto was thirteen when she realized that her seat-mate often disappeared during breaks without a trace before promptly returning to class afterwards. It wasn't that the act was suspicious. She only remembered it because she was curious about what a middle school student would be so busy with; even more so that they were only first years.

But she didn't mind it. It wasn't any of her business so she moved on.

Two months later, she discovered him carrying something that looked like a tablet of sorts. She wasn't surprised. Technology had always been popular amongst people her age. Hiroto was actually pretty interested in it as well. She was never the athletic type.

A week later when she was approaching the restrooms, she saw him walk into the male bathroom, tablet in hands with a dull expression on his face. At that moment she raised a brow. What would he be doing with that tablet in the bathroom? Entertainment, perhaps. Though, she could still remember that she assumed he was watching things he shouldn't be. After all, she didn't know him enough to make a proper assumption.

Naturally, she didn't say anything and simply made her way towards the female restroom, finished her business before walking out. As she left, Hiroto had turned to glance over her shoulder, moving some black strands out of the way to look at the door of the male restroom. She remembered wondering if he had left.

Then she returned to her classroom and sat down on her chair, sliding a book out from the compartment underneath her table and cracking it open back to where the bookmark laid. Hiroto kept her eyes on the page until the door slid open and her seat-mate silently walked in with an expression of distaste on his face.

She then returned to her novel.

* * *

Hiroto had always been rather withdrawn compared to her brother. Their relatives often talked about how they were polar opposites. Hiroto agreed completely. Her elder brother was a chatter box and a never-ending ball of sunshine, whilst she was quiet and gloomy. He was two years her senior and attended a faraway all-boys middle school as a third year. He lived in the dormitories and only came home during breaks, presenting new stories to her excited parents about his adventures at his school.

He had always been a good guy that listened properly. That was why no one saw it coming when one visit he told their parents he was going to drop out after graduating middle school. Hiroto was surprised especially since it was him that was going to grow to hold the spot as the head of the family. She could still remember how her father's face turned red in anger at what he had said.

It was autumn back then. She could remember seeing the leaves fall from the trees in the garden from the traditional drawing room. Her mother was dumbstruck at the time, gaping at her firstborn as if he grew a tail. Her father's fists were clenched as they rested on his knees, gripping the material of his kimono in an attempt to calm down.

Her brother's face was a mix of fear and determination. At the time, she could only look at him blankly, indifference spreading across her face after his announcement. It was certainly sudden, and it was certainly unwanted.

"What brought this up all of a sudden?" Her father tried very hard not to yell at the boy.

"I can't achieve my future goals at school."

After that their father could not help it. He stood up and yelled furiously at him as her mother tried to calm him down. Her actions were proved useless when he slapped his own son across the face. She was shocked when it happened. It was the first time she had witnessed her own father raise a hand against them. But what really surprised her the most was that her brother took it with no complaints, only wincing at the stinging pain on his cheek.

Not sparing even the smallest glance, her father left the room. Their mother was torn at that moment. The woman wasn't sure whether or not to help her son or go cool down he husband. With a strained look towards her son, she left the drawing room to follow their father with a quickened pace, leaving Hiroto alone with her brother.

And for the first time that day she spoke to him, "Y'know, he won't accept an apology."

"Yeah, I know, and he won't be getting one."

He was serious. He didn't say or even mutter a single word close to an apology to their father. It was a blow to both sides from what she observed that day. Her family lost their precious male heir whilst her brother lost his own family.

It was only a three days later that her brother was found leaving the estate, luggage in tow before disappearing into the cold jungle people called the city.

* * *

Hiroto was always a face-person when it came to people. That was why it was difficult to even remember the names of students in her own class. However, she did remember the name of a particular boy in the class next door to hers. There had been gossip spreading around about how he took the blame for his friends when they got into trouble. Hiroto had mentally applauded at the news since she did not know the male personally.

He was betrayed though. His 'friends' had never looked at him as one of them and simply used him. Was he damaged because of it? Would he also fall into corruption just like the characters in manga? She actually found herself hoping not. It was refreshing to hear about a kind spirit in an age of arrogance and selfishness.

Her female classmates had told her he seemed kind of scary and had red messy hair. She had nodded at them, storing the piece of information in the back of her mind for future reference in case she bumped into the just teen.

Around four days after her conversation with the girls, she accidentally rammed into someone as she turned a corner in the school hallways. When Hiroto glanced up, she found herself standing in front of her a male a bit taller then her with fiery red hair that matched the color of his cheeks.

"A-Ah! S-S-Sorry…" He apologized quickly before making his way around her and sprinting off. Without a doubt, that was the boy that her class was talking about. The look of naïve and simplemindedness was extremely visible on his face. Despite only making eye contact with his hazel eyes for a few seconds, she had realized that his sense of innocence was gone. Hiroto was sure it was because he was degraded and betrayed by those other guys. It was unfortunate.

She turned towards the direction he ran off to again before spinning on her heel and continuing to walk. Hiroto had wished him good luck on that day. The black haired girl could remember thinking how it would be nice if Yata Misaki could regain that pure sense of justice.

And he did.

* * *

Two months later, she talked to her seat-mate for the first time.

"I'm sorry, by any chance did you write down the notes for the previous period?" She had fallen asleep. It was a relaxing kind of warm that afternoon and she fell asleep the moment class began.

Her seat-mate's eyes lazily looked over to hers, observing her for a moment before pulling out a notebook and handing it to her. She gladly accepted it and bowed her head in appreciation. Her blue eyes scanned the front of the book and found his name written neatly in the corner. After taking in his name, Hiroto opened the book and proceeded to copy out his notes.

"You've got really neat handwriting." She noted out loud as she read through them.

"It's not that big of a deal." He replied, sinking into his chair deeper.

"Ah, you must be the type to do well at school, right?" Hiroto asked, keeping her eyes on the job. There was a small pause before her seat-mate talked again. "Does it really matter?"

Hiroto continued, "I only assumed since it looked like you were studying even during breaks."

At the time, she was sure that he was shocked that she had noticed because of the longer pause he took. She was guessing that he tried to leave the room as if he was never there each time.

"I wasn't studying." He bluntly admitted. Ah, so she was wrong.

"I see," Hiroto went on, "then how about you let me hang out with you then? Oh, of course not in the guy's bathroom."

His eyes widened at that comment too before returning to his usual blank look. "Why would I want to hang out with you?"

"Fushimi-kun, it isn't good to be anti-social."

After another two days of hard work on Hiroto's part, the bespectacled boy reluctantly agreed and began eating lunch with her near a secluded place at the back of school.

It was quiet for a while before they met Yata.

* * *

She was fourteen years old when her father brought her to the drawing room. In a familiar setting, she kneeled a few meters away from her two parents. Her mother sat behind her father, looking at her worriedly whilst the expression on her husband's face was unreadable. The man was wearing the same kimono he wore that time.

"Hiroto, it's been decided that you will inherit the position as head of the family." Monotone. It was obvious that he did not want a girl to take control of the family. He simply had no choice.

"The branch families favor you well. Do not fail them." Her father grunted as he stood up, a stern look on his face as he slowly walked out of the room. Hiroto bowed as he left. It was 'proper' manners after all. It was pitiful the way her father acted. Since he had no other choice he had dropped her the title as heiress to their clan simply because the true one disappeared.

"Don't mind him, Hiroto." Her mother's voice brought her up from her position. "The stress from the others are too much nowadays."

It was at that moment Hiroto decided that her brother was selfish. For the first time, she could feel the anger in her body boil in silent rage. She did not want the title her father dropped into her lap. She wanted to live a simple life, one away from the clan or anyone she did not know.

She hoped he dropped dead.

* * *

They were fifteen.

Yata and Fushimi dropped out of middle school.

She continued and graduated.

Yata visited her at the graduation and congratulated her. Fushimi was also there with that usual grumpy frown on his face.

Her eyes narrowed at the red tattoo peeking out of Yata's shirt.

She didn't say anything.

* * *

From time to time they would hang out together when she entered her first year in high school. Fushimi had thrown a packet of chips at her face after midterm results were out and she had told him she gained the number one ranking. Yata passed her a can of soda and she gladly accepted it.

She had also joined the fencing team at school, which Fushimi snorted at. Hiroto had found herself getting roped in after she was randomly pulled aside by an upperclassman to join the club. Before she even knew it her name was down on the registration paper. It was too annoying to request to resign from the club anyway so she decided to just go with it.

Her mind was also focused on technology around then. The black haired girl often taught herself online how to program and manipulate her own devices. Fushimi also gave her some advice despite himself. Yata who had no real idea of the mechanics simply noted aloud about how her hair grew longer. She always wore it in a ponytail back then.

And then as the months went by, the knowledge of how to hack fully embedded into her brain and the boredom of school only grew. Fencing became a skill she was extremely good at and she participated in competitions. Her upperclassmen were thrilled at her results and urged her to compete in more.

So, she did.

* * *

Hiroto won first place in the winter contest and was surprisingly congratulated by a man she did not know. It was as if he was different from the rest of the crowd yet Hiroto did not know why. There was something about his very presence that was unique to the world and she wanted to know.

"Congratulations, Ichinose-kun. Your form was spectacular during the match." His violet eyes shone brightly behind his glasses with a polite smile dancing on his lips. He was wearing a blue uniform from what she could remember. "I do hope you're thinking of pursing fencing, you carry a talent for it." He finished before calmly bowing to her and heading towards the exit.

Her blue eyes drifted to the trophy in her arms and then his retreating back. She never thought of really using the art of fencing later in life; it was simply something she did just for the sake of it, but a stranger had easily made her question her own thinking. Though, it wasn't a bad thing for him to do so. It made her think about her unknowable future laying ahead in two or so years time.

Hiroto watched silently as he left the area, two men following behind him wearing the same but slightly altered uniform as him. She did not understand why she felt drawn to him, the atmosphere from the very moment he appeared captured her interest straight away. He was a unique man and certainly not normal. He was more then what a human being was. Even she understood that clearly.

* * *

Around spring the next year, she met the same man from the competition again, but only in a different setting. Hiroto had been called to the headmaster's office during her lunch break to meet up with the dark blue haired male. Her eyes could not help but widen when she found him standing next to the headmaster who looked like a nervous pig. Their heads turned towards her as she made her presence known by stepping further into the room. She bowed at them and they nodded in appreciation.

"Ichinose-san, you must be wondering as to why you were called here." The headmaster said to her before glancing over to the man beside him, "you have made this institution extremely proud with your efforts in your club."

"Thank you very much, sir." It sounded as if the old man was sending her off to die.

"I'd like to introduce you to Munakata Reisi, the captain of Scepter 4." It was then when she had formally met the man who had smoothly complemented her fencing style the year before. Munakata's pleasant smile remained on his face as he bowed his head at her as she did the same. "I'm Ichinose Hiroto. It's a pleasure to meet you." She introduced herself properly with a half-genuine smile despite already knowing he knew her name. It was common courtesy after all.

"Ah, yes, there was something I wanted to discuss with you face to face." He motioned to sit down on one of the couches in the office before sitting down in one himself. She followed his action and sat across from him with an expressionless face. "To put matters bluntly, I have an offer for you that you may find interesting." Munakata folded his arms across his chest and she could see his eyes sparkle.

When Munakata revealed his intentions to have her as a member of his workplace, she was honestly surprised. He made a clear statement that if she were to join Scepter 4 it would take up much of her day thus meaning she would have to dropout of high school. He was being so straightforward that Hiroto could not help but listen quietly at his explanation.

"Would you like some time to think about it?"

She shook her head. From that moment her true destiny flashed upon her eyes clearer then anything in the whole world. Munakata Reisi was the leader she would follow.

* * *

When her father heard about the recruitment to join Scepter 4 he only narrowed his dark eyes at her. Her mother stood beside him, hiding her gaping mouth behind her kimono sleeve.

"What did you say?" Her father asked.

"My first shift begins next week."

The next day, Hiroto found herself wheeling her luggage out of the estate just like her brother did four years ago.

* * *

 **a/n: im actually back into writing yet i just made another story omg.**

 **and theres what a lucky strike that still needs to get updated as well as the rest of the stories.**

 **but i love k too much.**

 **this took a around 2 months to make due to the fact i wasn't pleased with what i came up with for the plot before.**

 **though i do hope u all enjoy.**

 **REVIEWS ARE SEXY.**

 **LONGER REVIEWS ARE SEXIER.**

 **THANKS GUYS.**


	2. Connection Successful

**Retracing Steps : 1 — Connection Successful**

* * *

"Ichinose-san, I'll be leaving these over here."

Hiroto grunted in response, her fingers tapping along the keyboard in an incredible speed as her eyes stared deep into the monitor. A yawn escaped her lips before her blue eyes left the screen for a moment to glance at the documents the subordinate so kindly left beside her. Her vision broke away from the sheet after taking note of the lengthy text that seemed to go on for another five pages.

She stretched her arms up in the air before allowing them to drop again back to her sides. The blue uniform she was wearing was a definite change from the high school uniform she wore only six months ago. Luckily, she was not faced with the issue of wearing such a short skirt like the lieutenant had to. A modest pair of shorts and knee high boots was her ensemble and she was glad.

Though, she had found herself slightly regretting leaving school as the workload she received after getting promoted was a real pain. The amount of papers she had to sign as well as the programming she had to do as a higher up member was tiring. Her work mainly consisted with information managing, software and server programming, analyzing online data, and the shadiest one; hacking.

"Ah, Ichinose-san, the research data have just arrived!"

Hiroto sighed tiredly.

* * *

Her father tried contacting her again when she was at the dorms.

She was head deep in the papers and surrounded by hologram touch screens, all filled with never ending codes running down. Hiroto did not have any time for him. She ignored the phone call and continued to work.

She had to keep busy.

* * *

"Ichinose-kun, there's something I would like to discuss with you." Munakata had called her to stay behind after the meeting. She turned to him, eyes staring into his violet eyes expressionlessly. He made no comment about it and continued to smile at her. Munakata moved to sit down behind his desk and motioned for the girl to come closer.

"You see, there is a rather unique individual hoping to join Scepter 4 and I wanted to hear your opinion about the matter." He began, leaning his elbows down on the table and watching her from behind his joint hands. Hiroto raised a brow at her king. This was unusual indeed. He was not one o consult with her when it came to recruitment.

"I doubt I'll be able to offer any assistance but I'll try to help." She said as firmly as she could. In all honesty, she really did not want to. There were still documents piled up on her desk in the programming room.

Munakata's smile did not waver, "Ichinose-kun, from what I have heard you may know this man." Hiroto's blue eyes continued to stare at him, waiting for him to continue.

"It looks like he attended the same middle school as you. Though, that isn't really the reason as to why I wanted to talk to you about him." Munakata looked like he was watching her reaction carefully. "The real thing about it is that he was previously involved with the red clan, led by the Red King, Souh Mikoto."

She could not help it this time and her eyes widened in surprise. Why was a red clansman trying to become a member of the blue clan? It was beyond strange. Could it be there was a type of conflict inside the group? How interesting.

Hiroto closed her eyes before opening them again to face the dark blue haired man sitting in front of her. "So, this guy defected?" She asked and Munakata replied with a nod.

An unpleasant image of her brother's face flashed in her mind and she almost frowned.

"Apologies, I really don't have any comment about the matter."

* * *

She had not seen Yata or Fushimi in the six months of her employment at Scepter 4. She definitely was not avoiding them, Hiroto was just stuck with busy hours after a terrible decision to procrastinate the first three weeks. She had planned to schedule a time to tell them about the whole ordeal with her dropping out of high school, but work caught up with her even after she got back on track.

Yata still messaged her at times, asking her about any new restaurants she visited so he could check them out. He had not changed at all. Fushimi still answered her messages to but whenever she mentioned Yata he would close the discussion as quickly as possible. Yata would do the same whenever she mentioned his best friend.

Something was going on but it wasn't any of her business so she kept out of it.

* * *

For the first time in six months her mother had attempted to communicate with her. Hiroto who was not expecting a call at the time accidentally picked it up without reading the caller id, expecting that it was someone from Scepter 4.

"Hiroto, we just received some information on your brother."

She patiently listened as her mother explained how a government worker had provided them the information from about three years ago regarding how a family member's name had been legally changed. The black haired girl stood silently whilst her mother continued. So that was what happened.

Hiroto found herself tuning out of the conversation when she had realized everything. The reason why her father tried to call her and why her mother was relaying the information to her. They were expecting that she was going to help them.

"I can't find him."

"Hiroto—"

And then she hung up.

* * *

Hiroto leaned back on her desk chair, arms folded as she stared blankly at the massive monitor in front of her. Her subordinates all sat around in different stations around her, typing the day away on their keyboards as she sat there on the grand chair lazily. Her saber was by her side, leaning against the leg of her chair.

She continued to watch as text scrolled down her screen in a fast pace before swiftly tapping a button to stop the movement. Raising a hand, she rubbed her eyes tiredly hoping to bring back the moist in them before a voice called out from behind her.

"Ichinose-san, I've got a message from the Captain!" It was Hidaka jogging through, waving a hand to grab her attention. She spun on her chair to face him, "What is it now?"

Hidaka straightened his posture and nodded at her in respect before continuing. "He wanted you to meet the new recruit." He replied as he watched the teen stand up and slip her arms through her dark blue trench coat. She scratched her head tiredly, messing her black hair up even more before moving to leave without a reply back.

At least now she could have an early break.

* * *

[ connection half way complete… ]

* * *

Yata sometimes found himself worrying about Hiroto. It was not because he did not trust her or anything but it was more so because she was quite withdrawn and strange. They had met properly in middle school after Fushimi introduced her to him. At first he was on edge talking to her but later on grew to relax and get used to her presence after a few months.

She was kind of like a female Fushimi but a lot nicer and approachable which he was absolutely glad for. Sometimes during middle school he would find them chatting about stuff he had no clue about like softwares and programs. Yata was just glad in a way that she was a bit more talkative and friendly. Sure, she was brutal when it came to sarcasm but Hiroto was cool to hang around with.

He took another step before stopping to look at the ramen sign standing to his left. It had been a while since he had met up with the girl. The last time was probably when she went to compete in her final kendo match at the end of the previous year.

The thought that he went with that bastard got him riled up. With a growl in irritation, he stomped into the ramen restaurant.

* * *

Damn that monkey!

To think he would even betray Homra after everything Mikoto had done for them. He was a real bastard in Yata's opinion. Now, he going to go join the blues? Fuck him!

Even if he lost one friend, he still had plenty around him.

He still had Homra and Hiroto.

* * *

"Ah, how was that girlfriend of yours, Yata-chan?"

The red-head almost spat out his cola at the question and began to choke. He coughed loudly before quickly responding. "H-Haah?!" His face was a mix of embarrassment and confusion. Kusanagi raised a brow in amusement as he continued to wipe a wine glass clean.

Before Kusanagi could talk, the doors of the bar opened and Shouhei came walking in with a friendly smile on his face. The new member was already feeling at home in the clan and came to visit almost everyday. The blond bartender greeted him as he sat on the stool beside Yata.

"So, what's up?"

"We were talking about Yata-chan's girlfriend."

"O-OI! K-Kusanagi-san, stop it! I don't have o-one!"

Yata wanted to smack that wide grin dancing on Shouhei's face. The red-head could practically feel the hidden smirk behind Kusanagi's gentlemanly smile. Shouhei turned to Kusanagi, "Hey, so what's her name?"

"Ah, I'm pretty sure her name was Hiroto-chan?" Kusanagi replied thoughtfully. Yata jumped up from his seat in a split second, slamming his hands down on the bar, his face completely red. "She isn't my g-girlfriend!" He almost screamed back in defense. Hiroto was his friend! There was a difference!

"Hiroto?" Shouhei blinked a couple of times in confusion. Kusanagi ignored Yata and turned to the pale brunette again, "Unique name for a girl, ain't it?"

"Kusanagi-san!"

The older blond chuckled as he placed the wine glass down on the bar. He looked at Yata over his sunglasses. "Anyway, how is she going? It's been a while since I've heard about her." Kusanagi said. Kusanagi had never met Hiroto before and Yata was kind of glad about it. If they had met her then the teasing would have been relentless.

Yata let out a breath before leaning back and rubbing his neck. "I haven't really met up with her in a while. She's been busy, I guess." The red-head answered, trying to remember the last time they spoke face to face. "What school does she go to?" Shouhei asked, including himself in the conversation. He looked pretty interested along with Kusanagi.

"I think it was an international academy?"

"Shizume International Academy is the closest one around here," Kusanagi whistled in appreciation, "Yata-chan, you've got a real smart one."

"K-Kusanagi-san!"

* * *

He almost forgot that Hiroto was super smart. She never spoke about her grades so it often slipped his mind. In middle school he could remember how she often got in the top ten during tests and how he would rarely find her below that. Yata could remember that one time when he was trying to do his homework, Hiroto had appeared behind and answered every one of the questions on the page before promptly leaving.

Yata wondered if she was still in the top ranks even in that academy she was attending. She was already doing great in her fencing club and from what she just told him she had gotten a job a few months ago. He really could not help but wonder how a lazy person like Hiroto could accomplish that much in such a small amount of time.

He whipped out his arm to check his watch. He clicked on the button near the edge and a screen popped up. Yata flicked across and found Hiroto's number before tapping it and calling.

* * *

[ connection complete. ]

* * *

She stared dumbstruck at the male in front of her whilst he did the same. The shock was unreal to the point she was able to ignore the vibration coming from the right hand pocket of her coat. Fushimi was standing there, wearing the same uniform she was with an equally shocked expression on his face.

"Now, this is certainly interesting, isn't it?" Munakata's amused tone snapped the two teens out and drew all their attention to him. Hiroto looked at him blankly, "Ban—Sir, is this a joke?"

The King shook his head, smile still present on his face. Hiroto shifted her attention back on Fushimi who also turned to her. "Fushimi-kun, what exactly do you think you're doing here?" She asked, monotone laced all over her voice. The male clicked his tongue in annoyance, "I could ask the same thing."

A chuckle broke the judgmental glare Fushimi was sending the black haired girl. "Now, now, Ichinose-kun, I called you over here for a little favor." Munakata began. He was planning something, she could tell. Hiroto raised a brow at him, "What is it?"

"Fushimi-kun will be working here at your department for the time being. Please make sure you teach him all about Scepter 4 during his time with you."

Hiroto really could not believe it.

* * *

Yata watched as the call disconnected. That was different. Hiroto usually picked up whenever she got calls. He shrugged his shoulders before dropping his skateboard onto the ground and skating away.

She must have been busy.

* * *

 **A/N: yes hello it is i!**

 **thank you for the amazing reviews! i honestly wasn't expecting anyone to review but this is great!**

 **i do hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for reading!**

 **and regarding the part in which Hiroto says 'Ban-' before quickly changing to sir... she was actually going to say the word 'Banchou' which is Japanese term which pretty much means gang boss.**

 **REVIEWS ARE SEXY.**


	3. Her and His

**Retracing Steps : 2 — Her and His**

* * *

It was his fault that she was forced into something she wanted no part of. He loved her without a doubt but at the time he only thought of himself. Disgustingly selfish he was and he could never forget the betrayal that cracked through her cold expression that night. It was painful, so painful.

But he could only take steps forward now. Maybe one day he will find her again but presently he was still too weak to face her. Regret still washed over him regarding that day so long ago.

How was she now? Did she still hate sweets? Did she still love him as much as he loved her?

No matter what, he will always stand by her side. Even if she were to hate him for the rest of eternity, he will remain beside her.

His precious—

* * *

They talked properly after Munakata left and for some reason Hiroto felt no negative emotions over his supposed betrayal. Even though she had received a vague explanation ("Tch, it was a waste of time.") from the teen, having been already used to his answers she accepted it was nod before proceeding to bringing him around the headquarters.

"You didn't tell me." Fushimi was tailing behind her and even she could heard the irritation in his voice. "I was planning too but I just got caught up." The black haired girl replied as honestly as she could. Sparing a glance over her shoulder, she found him looking around with the very essence of boredom etched onto his frowning face. "Is that a problem?" Hiroto asked.

He clicked his tongue in response and they continued down the hallway silently.

* * *

Maybe she was wrong about the whole matter.

Maybe she did feel angry that he so easily betrayed his previous clan.

Maybe that is why she walked right up to him after his first month and punched him in the face.

He countered back by punching her too.

But in stead of feeling even more mad, Hiroto felt like she had just lost all the weight on her shoulders.

Finally, her heart felt at peace once again.

* * *

Fushimi left her department after three months since he got promoted to third-in-command. When she had congratulated him on the matter he simply grunted and walked straight passed her. The male had turned into more of an asshole then he was before but he still hung around her so she made no complaints.

With a turn of her heel, Hiroto made her way back to the programing room. She had gained a new superior but after witnessing some of his battle skills in the dojo she was fine with it. Hiroto was only a rank behind him and was quite confident in her fighting skills as well but she knew he was better. She was never the jealous type and preferred to simply accept things when they happened.

She never really did see him as a subordinate anyway.

* * *

After a whole week of pestering on her part she was able to force him into going to a barbecue restaurant after work only just recently. He was still as carnivorous as before and pretty much ignored anything closely related to vegetables on the table.

The whole situation was nostalgic, only difference being there was not three of them sitting at the table.

"Oi, why did you join anyway?"

She peered up at Fushimi who had asked nonchalantly as he continued to place down more meat on the grill in between them. She thought a bit before answering, "I was asked to join so I did."

"That's all?" He raised a brow.

"Mm."

Hiroto brought her chopsticks forward to help him flip the strips of meat. It was silent between the two again yet not an ounce of awkwardness surrounded them. The blue eyed teen retracted her arm to grab another plate with more meat on it.

"So, Fushimi-kun, what exactly happened to _you_?"

* * *

"That damn brat…"

Hiroto paused to spare a glance at Fushimi who was staring at a piece of paper in absolute anger. She moved closer to him, covering a yawn with her hand as she looked over his shoulder. It was a report from Domyouji he was glaring at and it was terrible. It could not even be considered a report.

"Ah, well, he's always been like this." She commented as Fushimi dug into his pocket to grab his phone. He was running through his contact list when she patted him lightly on the back. "Overtime must be a pain, I'll see you tomorrow." Hiroto said and received a grunt as a reply.

The black haired teen was right in front of the doors when she stopped to glance at his figure amongst stacks of papers.

"G'night."

He clicked his tongue.

* * *

Hidaka was a good person. So good that is made sense as to why he would join an organization such as Scepter 4 that followed order and justice. That was why she was not surprised when he approached her, brows furrowed in worry and asking about Fushimi.

"It's just that he's always by himself…" Hidaka said, holding onto some documents as he walked alongside her. "I wouldn't worry about him. He's always been like that." Hiroto replied, rubbing her tired eyes before taking a sip from the coffee in her hand.

"Ichinose-san… are you friends with Fushimi-san?" Hidaka asked, voice dripping with curiosity, his eyes focusing on her as they walked on. The black haired girl went quiet for a bit before answering. "We've known each other since middle school." She replied before stopping as they reached the information department. She smoothly took the documents out of his arms and slid into the room without another word.

Hidaka was left dumbstruck outside the room.

* * *

She stared at the baby in his arms blankly. The child gurgled and raised his hands up in greeting. She turned her attention at the bespectacled teen holding the boy.

"Fushimi-kun… is he yours?"

"Just shut up."

Hiroto scratched her head as she continued to watch the baby squirm around in his arms. "Well, this is certainly interesting to come back to after a field mission." She remarked in slight amusement.

"The brat's a strain that was abandoned and the captain found him." Fushimi explained, already irked by her presence. The captain was doing things like this again? She really was not surprised by his antics anymore.

"Oh, if isn't Ichinose-kun. This is the male dorm, you know." Speak of the devil. Munakata walked into the room, arms behind his back with his usual smile etched on his face. She folded her arms across her chest and watched as he came closer to the baby. "I just got back from a field mission and was asked to check out the situation by some officers." Hiroto replied dully.

She was still in her uniform just like her king but she was itching to get out of them. She was stuck wearing it for almost ten hours straight for the whole day. Munakata was quiet for a few seconds before leaning over to check on the baby again.

"Ichinose-kun, Fushimi-kun, family is the society that you come into contact with first, therefore the one's that influence you first." The captain began, "but if that first society banishes you there'll be another society that accepts you."

Hiroto's gaze drifted over to rest on the dark blue haired adult. There was definitely truth in what he was saying and Hiroto could not help but agree with him completely. She did not utter a single word and only continued to watch as the scene went on.

Munakata and Fushimi exchanged some words before he placed a small bracelet on the child's wrist, explaining how he had asked the gold clan if those shackles were alright for children. Ah, so that was where he was all day. No wonder everyone got stuck with looking after the child even though there was still work to do.

Awashima came bursting in after a while when Fushimi and Munakata were conversing. "Captain, the baby's mother has turned up." The blonde reported.

Munakata took the baby from Fushimi and raised him up in the air, "Looks like your mother's here to take you back… what will you do?"

"You don't intend to give him back?"

The captain only smiled, "No, I just want to hear his desires." Hiroto's blue eyes wandered over to the baby who was staring at the king. "Hm? Desires?" She repeated quietly.

"After all," Munakata glanced at her side for a moment before returning his gaze on the baby boy, "the one who was abandoned also has the right to abandon his origins."

Hiroto's eyes widened and felt her body go stiff for a second before it relaxed again when the realization hit her.

He knew everything.

* * *

It was only a few days after the strain incident that she saw the burn marks partially hiding the familiar red tattoo on the left side of his chest. It was on that day she had learnt that it was something all Homra members had. All red clan members.

She remembered when she had seen it on Yata during her middle school graduation ceremony. Hiroto could tell Fushimi was watching her carefully as she stared at the destroyed symbol.

"Looks like it hurt."

"Not really."

The male moved to grab a jumper from his closet to cover up his shirtless form. Hiroto had been lounging around his dorm room as he was taking a shower so when he came back to change it was impossible to hide it from her. Though it looked like that was not the case. Fushimi just got ticked off whenever he saw it.

He was putting his jumper on when she decided to speak again. "Wanna get barbecue?" For some reason she was just in the mood for some meat. Fushimi looked at her blankly before clicking his tongue and shoving his phone and wallet into his clothes.

Hiroto jumped up, long black hair moving along with her as she followed him out of the door.

* * *

She cut her hair the next day after she had went out to eat with the gloomy teen. Her strands rested on her shoulders now, not going any further then that. When she appeared at work the next day she received many comments about the new style, all of them positive and about how she suited it.

When Fushimi saw he narrowed his eyes at her for a second before throwing a manila folder into her arms. Hiroto checked the contents of the folder before walking away from his desk.

* * *

Her phone vibrated loudly against the wooden table. Hiroto turned to check who the caller was lazily and found Yata's name flashing on the screen with her ringtone playing.

She reached over—

"Hiroto, the meeting's starting soon."

Fushimi stood by the door, an impatient expression on his face. She looked back at her phone and calmly declined the call before pulling her coat off her desk chair. She slid her arms through and followed Fushimi out of the department.

* * *

Sometimes he wondered if she still thought about him. It was a nice thought knowing she cared especially since he cared for her so much. At times he would wish to rewind time so that he could still be with her and to still be that person she looked up to.

What was he now? Probably an annoying stain in her eyes.

Maybe one day he will have the courage to return to her.

To be by his little sister's side again.

* * *

A/N: woah look at this random quick update!

ahaha, thanks for reading and i hope you'll all continue to enjoy this series. thanks for all the reviews, faves and follows!

please review as i love to read about what you guys think about the story as well as what you think will happen! (lol i love reading about predictions regarding her brother's identity) and this series will **carry aspects of the storyline in the k prequel: 'days of blue' if u were wondering about the baby scene.**

once again, thanks for reading!


	4. Blood and Water

**Retracing Steps : 3 ― Blood and Water**

* * *

She tilted her head back to examine the large sign above her, eyes scanning over the decorated name on the bar as her fingers played with the material inside her cardigan's pockets. Without a doubt he was inside and from what she could tell was the only person inside. Glancing at her sides one more time and reassuring herself that the streets were empty, she took a step forward and pulled a hand out to push the wooden doors open.

A bell rung from above her and Hiroto ignored it to observe her surroundings, taking in the western and mature look of the bar. The decorations were appealing and whispered a kind of extravagant feel to them. She felt oddly relaxed and took a step forward, turning her attention to the man behind the counter, smiling handsomely at her.

She bowed her head at him in greeting. "It's been a while," Hiroto said.

"You've grown up since middle school, Hiroto." The blonde remarked, never losing the smile on his face. "C'mon, take a seat."

Hiroto moved towards the stools and followed his instruction, sitting across from him with an unreadable expression. The bartender raised a brow at her and picked up a glass. "Anything in particular you wanna drink?" He asked. She crossed her arms on the counter, "I'm underaged."

He chuckled and she sighed, loosening up her stiff shoulders. "Juice is cool."

"As you wish, mademoiselle."

* * *

Fushimi grimaced at the drop of sweat that threatened to fall from his forehead. The captain didn't bother putting any air conditioners in any of the other rooms except the common room and his own so it was as if a heatwave was dancing around the dorm. Domyouji was being annoying in the common room so there was no way he was stepping in there.

Hiroto also disappeared and was missing since morning. Where did she even go? She usually stayed at the dorms during her day offs since she had a strong habit of procrastinating her paperwork and would always end up having to do them during her breaks. She really had to get her shit together for once.

* * *

"Kya!" A scream broke him out of his thoughts and he quickly made his way to the door, peeking into the hallway to find a frightened Awashima pointing at a spider in fear.

What was wrong with everyone today?

* * *

"Is it always this quiet?"

"The boys usually hang around but it seems like they're all out playing right now. Ah, that includes Yata-chan of course."

Kusanagi noticed her shoulders tense at the mention of the red haired male and had to hold down a chuckle. Hiroto, having always been a smart one, instantly looked up and narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you tell him?" She asked him. Kusanagi shook his head. If there was anyone that should tell him about the truth it should be her. He wasn't going to get in between that.

"Anyway, what're you doing here? You've never been the type to just swoop in for a visit." Kusanagi went back to cleaning a glass with a cloth. There wasn't much to do when there weren't any customers.

Hiroto took a sip out of her own glass, "I really would've liked to have avoided coming here, but at this point I have no one else to turn to."

He hummed, urging her to continue.

It was after a couple of seconds of silence that she decided to speak again. "They're getting annoying, Izumo-san. Have they contacted you yet?"

"Hm… I did receive a call the other day about a meetin' of sorts."

"I wanted to come and ask if you could please take the offer into consideration. I know you aren't obligated to listen to me but at this point I really don't know what to do anymore." Kusanagi couldn't help but widen his eyes and pause his movements in shock. It was the first time he had ever heard Hiroto with such a genuine tone in her voice. A desperate plea of sorts that was so foreign it left him dumbstruck.

However, he gathered his thoughts as quickly as possible and gave her a hesitant smile. "Hiroto… you've really grown up, haven't you?"

She bowed her head.

"I'm not sure if I can make a difference but I'll do whatever." He replied softly, placing the glass down gently.

"Thank you, Izumo-san."

* * *

She stared blankly at all the employees running around, carrying wooden crates and insects in their hands. Hiroto spotted a familiar brunet running towards her and turned to face him. Hidaka paused mid-jog to greet her with a salute, "Ichinose-san, welcome back!"

The female took another look around her and found Domyouji screaming in a corner. "What's going on?" She asked, watching as Domyouji clutched onto a nearby clansman with tears almost forming from his eyes. "Remember that bust we did a couple of days ago? The one with the illegal dealings? The guy wanted revenge and was sneaking poisonous animals into headquarters. We're just rounding them all up now." Hidaka informed, lifting up the crate in his hands to reveal a vicious looking snake through the air hole.

She gave the animal a look of distaste before nodding at the brunet. Before she could ask where the captain was her ringtone went off in her right pocket. Hidaka promptly bowed before returning to his duties and leaving her alone with her phone.

Hiroto pulled the device out and read with tired eyes the caller id.

* * *

 _"Hiroto? Hiroto. it's me. I think we're close to finding your brother, Hiroto, if you could just―"_

"Why can't you just let one of the branch families take over?"

 _"No! To even suggest that― The Ichinose name will disappear, and I refuse to let the others take over! It has always been the Ichinose family who is in charge, Hiroto."_

"For someone who married into the family, you sure are passionate about this, Okaa-san."

 _"Hiroto… Hiroto, listen to me. You― You can come back and fix things. The only ones that can fix this are you and your brother. Do you understand, Hiroto?"_

"…I understand that completely but I refuse. Other then sharing the same surname, I really don't want anything to do with that family."

 _"Hiroto! Why― Please, please, Hiroto. Your grandparents―"_

"Please stop calling me."

* * *

"From the looks of things the strain you're probably has the ability to manipulate cyber space," Hiroto's fingers danced along the keyboard, eyes never leaving the data running down the screen, "I bet they weren't really thinking about hiding their tracks since it was pretty easy just finding where they changed stuff."

"What exactly are they changing?" Hidaka asks.

"One sec," Hiroto pulled out another file onto screen before sharing the file across the numerous screens in the lab. "I had initially thought they were gonna make use of the bank accounts these victims had but they were after other things instead." She added, "Honestly, I don't know what the strain is after but I can't recognise a pattern in any of the hackings. Each person that was hacked had nothing in common, well, that's what I believe."

"Tch."

Hiroto peered over her shoulder at the grumpy teen, "Anything you wanna add?"

With a frown in her direction, he shoved his hands into his pockets before exiting the room, followed by his confused subordinates. Hiroto watched them leave and sighed tiredly, shaking her head and returning back to scanning the rest of the data.

"Uh, Ichinose-san, was it really okay to just let them leave?" A worried employee asked beside her, glancing towards the door.

"Ah, well, I'm pretty sure they can figure things out on their own."

"Ichinose-san…"

* * *

"Izumo-san?"

Kusanagi smiled softly at her and she quickly bowed her head in acknowledgement. He approached her as she let the basket carrying her groceries sit on the floor. "How're you doing, Hiroto? Eatin' well?" He asked.

"Ah," she glanced around, "yeah."

Kusanagi took notice of her worried expression despite how much she tried to hide it. He waved his hand, "Don't worry 'bout it, I didn't bring the boys."

Hiroto paused and looked back at him, gaze softening at his reassurance and nodded. "Well, seein' as I caught you here, wanna talk? There's a couple of things I need to tell you." Kusanagi jerked his thumb towards the benches sitting outside of the store. Hiroto glanced at her watch before accepting his invitation. She pushed the basket to the side and followed the man out of the store, taking the seat beside him as they faced the busy street. Kusanagi pulled out a cigarette, lighting up before sucking in some air, "Azami-san seems to have been askin' around where he shouldn't be from what they've told me. Askin' around a circle of brokers in the area."

Hiroto's eyes widened in genuine shock, "He― Are you sure, Izumo-san?"

"Seein' as I myself am a broker this kinda information wouldn't escape my ears, Hiroto-chan."

Kusanagi watched as the girl slowly looked down at her hands, small hands shaking in what he believed to be utter shock mixed with a touch of fear. He turned to look back at the road, blowing out a cloud of smoke tiredly. "Izumo-san… I…" Her voice wavered quietly, telling Kusanagi all he needed to know.

He smiled at her, reaching over to pat her head.

"Don't worry 'bout a thing, Hiroto-chan."

"How can you be so sure?" She challenged.

He lightly chopped her head, "Azami-san has never been the type to back down after all."

* * *

"Huh?"

"Ah."

"Hiroto?! Hey―! Where the hell have you been?! You weren't answering my calls!"

"Right. Sorry about that. I've been a little busy nowadays."

"Tch. At least send a message back."

"I'll try next time."

"And what're you even doing here? Don't you have school or something?"

"…Well, not really."

"Wow, a day-off? That international school really does whatever it wants, huh."

"Never-mind that. Yata-kun, you should hurry before it gets dark."

"Hah? Whatever, girls are the ones that should be careful! I'll walk you―"

"Ah, don't worry. I'll head there myself."

"Hey―"

"Yata-kun, goodnight."

"Goodnight…?"

* * *

She met Awashima in the lobby of the female dorms, holding several letters in her hand. The woman turned to her with a pleasant smile on her face, "Welcome back. A letter came in for you." Hiroto narrowed her eyes at the envelope held out to her before giving the blonde a thanks. She checked the back and found the sender's name missing.

The black haired girl continued to eye the envelope in suspicion before tearing the side gently. She slipped the letter out, throwing the torn envelope into a nearby rubbish bin, flipping the paper open to read.

She almost stopped breathing as every word ran through her mind, every sentence and every paragraph paralysing her in her spot, right in front of her room. Her hands began to shake once again, this time in utter disbelief at the words on the page. Hiroto reminded herself to suck in more air as she looked up at her door, quickly turning the knob and shutting the door closed.

There was no way―

Impossible―

No―

It just didn't make any sense.

It was fake― Someone had to be playing tricks on her. In silent rage she crushed the paper in her fist before throwing it at the screen on her wall.

She was finished with him.

He ruined her and he expects her to actually care. Hilarious!

"Don't fuck around with me!" She screamed at scrunched up paper.

Her brother did not deserve her attention anymore.

* * *

 **a/n:** wow k i updated guys. this has been sitting around for ages and i finally got to finishing it (since this chapter was like almost done but i just never finished it). thanks for all the reviews, i love hearing people's thoughts as well as predictions i love it!

sorry for not updating but here it is now ahahaha


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